Banded stilt description

Named for the broad, conspicuous, reddish-chestnut band present across its breast during the breeding season (2)(4)(5), the banded stilt (Cladorhynchus leucocephalus) is a highly distinctive bird that flies with flickering wingbeats (3).

The head, back and underparts of the banded stilt are white (2)(3), punctuated only by the dark breast-band, which spreads downwards into a blackish-brown belly patch (3). Except for the pure white secondary feathers, the uppersides of the wings are entirely black, while the undersides are mostly white (3)(5). The banded stilt’s tail is generally white, although it is usually discoloured with grey-brown hues (3).

The banded stilt’s slender black bill is straight or slightly upcurved (2)(3)(5), and its eyes are dark (3). In contrast, the banded stilt’s legs are a bright orange or pink (2)(3), and these long limbs end in partially webbed toes (3).

In its non-breeding plumage, the adult banded stilt looks similar to the breeding adult, although the breast-band and belly patch often fade and become poorly defined due to the addition of white- and brown-tipped feathers (2)(3). Male and female banded stilts are similar in appearance (3). The juvenile banded stilt looks much like the adult bird, although it lacks the dark chest-band and belly patch, and generally has much duller plumage.

The banded stilt’s call is said to be wheezy and sound somewhat like a puppy barking (4). The barking call is described as ‘chowk’ or ‘chowk-uk’, and flocks of individuals calling at the same time can be extremely loud (3).

Related species

Banded stilt biology

A migratory species (9), the gregarious banded stilt spends the southern summer in large flocks on coastal saltpans and other similar habitats (3)(6)(8), only moving inland to breed (4)(6)(8).

Brine shrimps are the principal component of the banded stilt’s diet (2)(3)(8), and this distinctive bird searches for prey by probing its bill into the soft mud as it wades or swims in the shallows (3)(5).

The banded stilt’s breeding strategy is somewhat unusual. An opportunistic species, it waits until the rains have fallen and filled large, temporary salt lakes within Australia’s arid interior before flocking to the area to form large breeding colonies on islands within the floodlands (2)(3)(4)(6)(8). As this species relies on rainfall to trigger the breeding season, it is thought that the banded stilt may only breed once every couple of years (10).

Stilt species are generally monogamous, although pair bonds are usually only maintained for a single season (10). Like other stilt species, the banded stilt builds a simple nest, into which three to four chalky-white eggs are laid (4)(10). The eggs are incubated by both the male and the female banded stilt (10). Uniquely among waders, the newly hatched banded stilt chicks are covered in pure white down, and the chicks are able to swim and feed themselves from a very young age (3). Whereas other stilt species care for their young for several months, the banded stilt chicks collect together in large crèches, which may be composed of several hundred chicks (3)(10).

Species with a similar range

Banded stilt habitat

During dry, non-breeding periods, the banded stilt tends to concentrate near the coast, where it can be found on small, shallow and scattered coastal lagoons (6)(8). This species also occurs on tidal flats, salt lakes and marshes, commercial saltpans, and occasionally on estuaries (2)(3)(4)(5).

Within days of rain falling, the banded stilt moves inland to breed on islands within temporary floodlands and newly formed shallow lakes (4)(6)(8).

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